Downsizing
by skittery's bad mood
Summary: David's father has grave news...Luckily for David, he has friends like Jack.


Disclaimer: I've written so many of these, they've ceased to be clever…I don't own Newsies…Woe is me…how I'd love a Newsie of my own…

A/N: I know Mayer and Esther are probably OOC, but…it worked for the story so, deal!

Downsizing

David's father's voice was soft and gentle and lacked the lightheartedness it usually carried with his delivered messages; it sounded more tired.

He had called a family council, something they hadn't had to put up with in a while, which the kids were thankful for, but having one now meant one of two things. Something very good was about to happen…or something very bad.

As David settled into the armchair beside the sofa, he wished for the former.

"Children," Mayer began, his voice heavy with an emotion unfamiliar to David, although he knew for certain, it was anything but happy and excited. "I'm afraid…due to circumstances beyond our control…" he hesitated. Esther reached out to grab her husband's shaking hand. He looked at her, she flashed him an encouraging smile, and then he turned back to the faces of his expectant children. "I-we-your mother and I think it best if we…downsize."

David glanced over at his older sister, Sarah whose expression bore resemblance to that of a rich man discovering all of his stocks have gone south. Les looked confused.

"Now…it isn't that we don't love you. We do. You're our children. But we must think about what is best for this family in the long run…We wanted to decide…as a family…which of you must leave."

"Leave?" said Les.

"Oh sweetie. Its for the best," Esther said, reaching for her youngest, who crawled into her lap and held her tight around her neck, still confused, but certain that something bad was happening.

"Well you certainly can't let _me_ go," said Sarah, launching the debate as per her usual self.

"Why not?" countered David. "All you do is sit at home and stitch doilies. You're worthless."

"Now now, David," said Mayer. "Let's keep this discussion civil…Sarah…"

Sarah turned briefly to stick her tongue out at David, who tried to kick her in retaliation only to discover that his legs weren't long enough. Sarah started to pace as she listed reasons why she should stay. "First of all, I'm your only _girl_. Second…I help mama with the cooking, and the cleaning…and the baking, and…and the laundry. I mean, think of how hard all of that would be on you mama…at your age!" She knelt down in front of her mother, who was rocking steadily in her wooden rocker, and took the older woman's hands into her own. "Face it, mama. You need me."

"She has a good point, Mayer."

"Yes well, its only fair the boys get a shot too…Les…why do you think you ought to stay?"

The youngest Jacobs lifted his head momentarily from his mother's shoulder and burst into a fit of hysterical tears, which Esther tried to soothe immediately. "Mayer, how could you? He's just a baby."

"Baby or not. We must decide."

"My vote is for Sarah," said David.

"And mine's for David," said Sarah.

David narrowed his eyes at her. She stuck her tongue out at him again.

"I want David to leave too," said Les, suddenly and unexpectedly. All voices stopped and all eyes fell on their young family member. He looked brave suddenly, standing up straight and tall, free of his mother's comforts. He faced David. "I think David likes being a newsie."

All eyes turned to David then and David felt his face turn red. "Well, sure I-I like being a newsie but…this is my home…you're my family…that's…it's just a job…"

"Les has a point David," said Mayer. "You spend more time with them than you do with us anyway. Sometimes, we don't see you for days."

"I'm trying to make money so we don't starve!"

"But you eat so much, David, it's almost like you're making enough to pay for your own food, but no one else's," said Sarah. David's heart fell when his mother nodded in agreement.

"I'm a growing boy! I need food! And if you don't like it, make better doilies so people will actually buy them!"

He tried to convince them that they needed him, that it was a foolish idea to throw him out when he was the only one making decent money, and that, well, they would miss him!

But his family had made a decision, seemingly without him, and he wondered briefly if they'd held a previous counsel without him. "What kind of parents _are_ you?" He looked from his father to his mother and then back.

Mayer didn't meet his son's eyes when he answered. "We're not perfect, David…we only want what's best for you and your sister and brother."

"By getting rid of one of us? Just dumping us into the streets?"

"That's what we'd be doing if we were letting go Les or Sarah." Mayer was on his feet then. He crossed the room and placed firm hands on David's shaking shoulders. "You _have_ a place to go."

"Where?"

"The lodging house. It's your second home already. I'm sure that old man will have no problems letting you stay there."

"Except for it's not free, papa. Jack and the others pay six cents a night to sleep there."

"You have a job. Paying for it won't be hard at all."

"Selling papes does not guarantee me a bed. What if the headlines are bad?"

"It'll be an incentive for you to work harder."

"You sound like Pulitzer," David mumbled.

"I have no choice in this matter. Your mother and I have discussed it extensively. I _must_ let one of you go. Les is too young. Sarah's a girl. That leaves you."

"I'm not leaving." David hoped that his voice had sounded final like he had intended. He folded his arms across his chest and stared into Mayer's dark eyes, like he'd seen Jack do on more than one occasion.

"You can come by once a week with some of your earnings."

"_What!"_

"Well, you don't expect us to be able to survive without some sort of income, do you?"

"Not _my_ income! If you're kicking me out, I'm never coming back! I'll go out there and make a nice life for myself and have a family and I'll be able to keep all of them because…" he trailed off, realizing his words weren't affecting his father at all.

Mayer sighed, lit his pipe and then settled into his rocker beside the fireplace. "Please pack your things David."

Half an hour later, without so much as a goodbye from his family, David was alone in the street, lugging his small suitcase behind him, wondering what exactly had happened, how it had happened, and how they could _ever_ choose him over Sarah.

Thirty minutes ago, he'd had a family. He'd been loved. Now, suddenly, he had no one. Even going to the newsies seemed foolish. They'd probably laugh at him for getting kicked to the curb…he'd have to double up with one of the boys for sure, there definitely weren't enough bunks for him to have his own, and no doubt his bunkmate would have cold feet and hog the blankets, and have horrible morning breath and countless other annoying habits.

David sighed and then sent one last longing look up to the lighted window that used to be his bedroom.

With tears brimming in the corners of his eyes, he made his way down the street, unsure of where he was heading, but hoping that fate would grasp hold of him and lead him where he belonged.

During a particularly lonely leg of his walk, when he'd been remembering a nice chat he'd had with his father only a week before, he bumped into a brick wall.

It knocked him over and then apologized.

"Jack? What are you doing here?"

Jack held out a hand and helped David to his feet. "Out for a walk…" His eyes fell on David's suitcase and then lit up with worry. "You runnin' away?"

"Involuntarily."

Jack looked confused so David explained. "My parents and Les and Sarah all agreed that they would do better as a family without me."

Jack laughed out loud but stopped abruptly when he realized David was not only serious, but very much on the verge of tears. Jack's face turned somber as he placed a hand on David's shoulder. "Davey…that's…why?"

"It's because I eat too much, Jack." David lost it then, turned away so as not to show weakness in front of his best friend. Jack put an arm around him. The comforting action was followed by Jack's soothing voice.

"You don't eat too much."

"But I do, Jack. And I don't go to school like Les, and I can't cook like Sarah, or sew, or-or anything really! I'm a waste of space on the family tree." He sat down, dejectedly and buried his wet face into his dirty hands.

He felt Jack sit beside him. "Look, Dave…I ain't one for all this…talkin' stuff, but…I think you're the best part of your family."

"Why? I'm useless."

"I couldn't o' gotten through the strike without ya, that's for sure. And Racetrack, I mean…he'd be a lot poorer if ya didn't play poker with him."

"Those are…trivial things…in life…they mean nothing."

"You're a good friend."

David snorted.

"No, seriously. I mean, you ain't never let nobody down. Not me…not anybody. That ranks you pretty high in my book."

"So I'm a good friend then. Big deal. There are a million people in the world who are good friends."

"But how many of them can say they befriended the infamous Jack Kelly?" Jack grinned, but David was less than amused. Jack sighed and then said, "you know big words. Lots of big words."

"Trivial."

"See what I mean? And you're funny…you ain't selfish…not like me. Remember the time Kid and Mush were playin' keep away with Crutchy's crutch? We all sat there, laughin' our heads off, but you Dave…you caught that crutch in the air and gave it back to Crutchy…I don't think I ever saw the kid look so happy…like Christmas come early."

"Jack, you don't understand-"

"I understand enough Dave. Your family has a thing or two comin' if they think losing you will make things better. I know you made _our_ family better…" he trailed off and then stood up, offering his hand to David once again. "They'll figure it out. Then, you won't need 'em no more…'cause you'll have us…you'll always have us, Dave."

David hesitated and then reached up to grasp Jack's outstretched hand. Jack pulled him to his feet.

"There aren't enough bunks…"

"I'll scoot over."

"Kloppman he…"

"Don't worry. He loves ya too, Davey." Jack picked up David's suitcase and then led the way through the dark streets back to the lodging house.


End file.
